Why Teach with Simulations?

Instructional simulations have the potential to engage students in "deep learning" that empowers understanding as opposed to "surface learning" that requires only memorization. Deep learning means that students:

Learn scientific methods including

the importance of model building.

the relationships among variables in a model or models.

data issues, probability and sampling theory.

how to use a model to predict outcomes.

Learn to reflect on and extend knowledge by

actively engaging in student-student or instructor-student conversations needed to conduct a simulation.

How to Teach with Simulations

Effectiveness instructional simulations require:

Instructor preparation.The good news is that instructional simulations can be very effective in stimulating student understanding. The bad news is that many simulations require intensive lesson preparation.